


grant me the serenity

by starkly



Series: you don't have to do this alone [20]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Anniversary, F/M, M/M, Multi, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-09 02:29:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13471767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkly/pseuds/starkly
Summary: Tony had known it was going to be a hard road when he started, but he hadn’t let that deter him. He pushed, and persevered, and though he’d stumbled a few times, he had two wonderful people at his side to help him up again. And now here he was, holding a bronze chip for one full year sober.





	grant me the serenity

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for NaNoWriMo 2017 and posted at [dailyironfamily](http://dailyironfamily.tumblr.com/post/167724239675/day-20-anniversaries) on tumblr. This fic was proofread before being posted here but is otherwise unchanged.
> 
> Day twenty: anniversaries. I tried to go for a little less obvious scenario, but it’s mostly just a short and sweet drabble. Pepper/Tony/Rhodey established, set post-Homecoming. Title nabbed from the Serenity Prayer.

Tony had known it was going to be a hard road when he started, but he hadn’t let that deter him. He pushed, and persevered, and though he’d stumbled a few times, he had two wonderful people at his side to help him up again. And now here he was, holding a bronze chip for one full year sober.

Pepper and Rhodey had wanted to take him out to celebrate, but he’d asked if they could stay in for the evening, and they’d readily agreed. He sits them in the living room, promising he’ll be right back, then disappears into the kitchen. When he returns a few minutes later, he’s got three big bowls with ice cream sundaes in his arms, and he brings them over to the couch and steals the spot in the middle.

“Shouldn’t we be the ones spoiling you?” Pepper asks, taking her bowl and spoon from him and leaning in to give him a kiss in exchange. “Today’s your day.”

“You remembered no sprinkles on mine, right?” Rhodey says as Tony hands him his bowl, and Tony laughs and tries to take the bowl back.

“I’m giving yours to Pepper, you lost ice cream privileges,” he says, but relents when Rhodey doesn’t let go. He doesn’t want to dump all their celebratory ice cream on the couch.

Rhodey puts the bowl in his lap, then leans in to kiss Tony’s cheek. “We’re proud of you, Tones.”

Tony smiles, wriggling back into the couch cushions and pulling the sobriety chip out of his pocket so he can look at it again.

“A couple years ago I wouldn’t have even bothered,” he murmurs, turning the coin over and rubbing a thumb over the prayer on the back. “And now look.”

Pepper reaches for his hand and squeezes it gently. “We knew you could do it, sweetheart.”

“Which is why we’re all celebrating,” Tony continues, tucking the chip back into his pocket. “You deserve ice cream sundaes just as much as I do. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Yes, you could have,” Rhodey says, nudging his shoulder. “But we’ll eat your ice cream no problem.”

Laughing, Tony digs into the chocolate sauce and whipped cream covered mess that looks like a five-year old put it together. Pepper and Rhodey do the same, and after a few bites he says,

“Let’s put something mindless on. FRIDAY? TV.”

The TV flicks on, and they spend several minutes flipping channels and arguing over what they should watch. Finally Tony tells FRIDAY to start up the third Die Hard movie, and Rhodey and Pepper just let it be. It’s nice, just sitting here eating ice cream and making comments about how he can’t believe Pepper wanted to bang Jeremy Irons (“I said he looked handsome  _once_  while we were watching Brideshead Revisited, will you please let it go!”). When he finishes off his sundae, he sets the empty bowl on the coffee table and scoots closer to Rhodey, leaning against him. Rhodey switches his spoon to his left hand so he can drape his arm around Tony’s shoulders, holding him close.

Halfway through the movie, Pepper sticks her bare feet under Tony’s leg to warm up, and he tugs one foot free, looking at her unpainted nails.

“Need a touch up?” he asks her.

“Shh, watch your movie,” she says, but he shakes his head and rubs his thumb over her ankle.

“I’ve seen it before. Come on, get your nail polish.”

She sighs but gets up, returning a minute later with a pouch of different bottles. She sits back down and selects one, handing it to Tony. He shakes it gently, arranging Pepper’s feet in his lap, then starts to paint each toenail with the kind of delicate precision he used for dainty metalwork or circuitry. When he’s done, her toes are bright Iron Man red, and she grins at him as she stretches out her legs the rest of the way, resting her feet in Rhodey’s lap instead.

“You want your nails done too?” Tony asks Rhodey, holding up the bright red polish.

“Not that gaudy color,” Rhodey says dryly, and Pepper says “Hey!” from Tony’s other side.

“Back rub?” Tony tries again, and Rhodey twists to look at him more seriously.

“Tony, you don’t have to pamper us or whatever it is you’re trying to do. We haven’t been supporting you just because we want the thanks.”

“I know that,” Tony says quickly, not wanting them to think that even for a moment. “It’s just…I  _want_  to say thank you. You guys mean everything to me. You believe in me when I don’t.”

Pepper reaches for his hand and he entwines their fingers. “You being happy is thanks enough,” she says, scooting closer and lifting his hand to her lips so she can press a kiss to his knuckles.

“I’m happy feeding you ice cream sundaes and giving you back rubs,” he says pointedly, glancing over at Rhodey.

“How about this, I’ll take a back rub before bed tonight if you still feel like it,” Rhodey says, and Tony nods. “Now stop interrupting and let us finish this movie.”

“Don’t tell me you want to bang Jeremy Irons too,” Tony replies, grinning.

“Nah, definitely Bruce Willis,” Rhodey says with a completely straight face the same time that Pepper exclaims, “Honestly, Tony!”

“Real talk, though,” Rhodey continues, and Pepper and Tony stop elbowing each other, “doesn’t McClane’s partner kind of remind you of Fury?”

The three of them fall silent, contemplating this new fact, and all three of them decide not to comment further.

By the time the movie is over, there are no back rubs or any other pampering, because all three of them have fallen asleep on the couch, both Rhodey and Pepper curled in toward Tony. FRIDAY shuts off the television and dims the lights with a quiet, “Happy anniversary, Boss,” before falling silent again.


End file.
